1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to three-dimensional computing. More specifically, the present invention relates to collaboratively manipulating three-dimensional objects by multiple, remote participants.
2. Related Art
As computers and communication networks become increasingly more powerful, users demand the ability to share more and more information. This, coupled with an increasing awareness of the need to develop products in shorter time and for less cost, has led to the development of tools that allow users of remotely located computer systems ("remote participants") to interact across communications networks.
One such tool is referred to as a collaborative work environment or "shared whiteboard." The collaborative work environment allows multiple remote participants to work simultaneously on the whiteboard. The whiteboard and its contents are visible to each remote participant through a display of the remote participant' computer system. The whiteboard functions as a single "electronic chalkboard" where each participant uses his "chalk" to write on the chalkboard for all participants to view, modify, and/or delete. The chalkboard is a work area depicted in the display of the computer system. The chalk includes any input device associated with the computer system including, but not limited to, a keyboard, a mouse, a stylus pen, a data file, an optical scanner, and/or data from any number of sensors or devices that can be received by a computer (e.g., video camera). Each remote participant may use his chalk to write on the chalkboard and each of the other remote participants is able to view simultaneously (or apparently so) what is being written.
Many examples of conventional collaborative work environments exist in the marketplace. Many collaborative work environments allow only text to be entered, viewed, or manipulated. Other collaborative work environments allow two-dimensional images or drawings to be entered, viewed, or manipulated. However, conventional collaborative work environments do not permit remote participants to view or manipulate three-dimensional models of objects.
Some existing technologies allow remote participants to navigate through a three-dimensional scene or "world". Each remote participant independently navigates his own "camera" through the world thereby viewing the world. In some of these worlds, each remote participant is able to view the camera of the other remote participants. However, one of the remote participants is able view the world through the camera of any other remote participant. In other words, each remote participant views the volume from his own individual perspective. Thus, true collaborative manipulation of a three-dimensional model of an object is not possible using this type of technology because each remote participant is operating from an independent perspective.
What is needed is a collaborative work environment that supports the manipulation of three-dimensional models of objects by multiple remote participants.